Railway-track structure.



No. 729,060. PATENTED MAY 26,1903.

A. L. GEORGE.

RAILWAY TRACK STRUCTURE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 24, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

WITNESSES IIll/EIITUR A TTURNEV.

UNrrnn STATES Patented May as, 1908.

PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR L; GEORGE, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE LORAIN STEEL COMPANY, CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,060, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed December 24,1902. Serial No. 136,442. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. GEORGE, of Johnstown,in the connty'of Oambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Track Structures, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to railway-track structures of that class which have wear plates of durable material removablysecured therein and constituting those portions of the structure which are subject to the greatest wear.

The object of my invention is to provide means of novel character whereby plates of this kind may be rigidly secured in the body of the structure, so as not to work loose from the severe usage which they receive in service, but in such a manner that they can be readily removed at any time without disturbing the structure as a whole and without tearing up or removing the adjacent pavement.

With this object in View my invention consists in the combination in a track structure of abody portion, a wear-plate seated therein, said body portion and plate having registering L-shaped key-seats formed therein, and keys or wedges adapted to be placed in the vertical arms of the said seats and driven from the surface of the structure into the horizontal undercut arms thereof to form a secure fastening for the plate and also arranged to be driven in the reverse direction to release the plate, also in means for facilitating access to the said keys for the purpose of releasing them, also in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a frog or curvecross embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 looking toward the adjacent wall of the plate-pocket and with the retaining material removed; Fig. 4, a fragmentary section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the plate removed; Fig. 6, a perspective view of one of the wedges or keys, and Fig. 7 a perspective View of one of the wooden plugs.

The letter A designates the body portion of the structure having the diverging rail members A and formed with a pocket A ,in which is seated the track-surfaced wear=plate B. The lateral walls of the pocket A are formed with L-shaped recesses c, and the lateral portions of the plate B are formed with registering recesses d.

B designates wedges or keys,which are first seated transversely in the vertical arms of the registering recesses c and d and are then driven tightly into the undercut horizontal portions of said recesses, the latter being preferably beveled or widened at their months, so as to insure the entrance of the wedges or keys in case the recesses c and d should fail to exactly register. 70

The plate is first seated in the pocket A and is properly leveled up by means of thin shims or blocks 6, placed thereunder. The keys or wedges are then dropped into the registering recesses and are driven tightly to their seats with the aid of a thin driving-piece inserted between the plate and the walls of the pocket A Inasmuch as there is usually a space varying from a quarter to three-eighths of an inch between the plate and the said walls, there is ample room for the insertion of these driving-pieces. After the keys or wedges have been driven to their seats pieces E of wood are dropped behind them in the vertical portions of each of the recesses c and cl, and a wooden piece E (see Figs. 2 and is also dropped over each key between the plate and pocket. Molten spelter or other suitable retaining material (shown at F) is then poured around and underneath the plate and around and over the wooden pieces E E. The keys or wedges can be driven very tightly in the manner described and insure the plate against working loose in service, and are themselves prevented from working loose by the wooden plugs E and by the retaining material. Should it become necessary to remove the plate for any purpose, thespelter or other remaining material overlying the wooden plugs E and E is first chipped away. The said plugs can then be readily split or chipped out, leaving the keys free, and the removal IOO of the plug E also leaves a space for the insertion of a driving-piece, by the aid of which the keys or wedges can be driven back into the vertical portions of the recesses c and d, and thus release the plate, which can then be readily pried out and removed.

I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts which I have herein shown and described, as various changes may be made in the details thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

The invention is applicable to all kinds of of track structures in which plates may be usedsuch as mates, tongue-switches, crossings, and the like.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a track structure, the combination of a body portion, a wear-plate seated therein, said body portion and plate having registering L-shaped key-seats formed therein, and

keys or wedges adapted to be placed in the vertical arms of said seats and driven from the surface of the structure into the horizontal undercut arms thereof to secure the plate and also arranged to be driven in the reverse direction to release the plate.

2. In a track structure, the combination with the body portion and the plate having registering L-shaped seats or recesses formed therein, ot-the transversewedges or keys arranged to be driven horizontally into and out of the horizontal arms of said seats or recesses, and means for securing said wedges or keys against movement.

3. In a track structure, the combination with a body portion and a wear-plate seated in a pocket thereof, said body portion and plate having registering L-shaped seats or recesses therein, of the transverse wedges or keys arranged to be driven horizontally into and out of the horizontal arms of said seats or recesses, the wooden pieces or plugs adjacent to said keys, and a retaining material bedding the plate and covering in said pieces or plugs, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. ARTHUR L. GEORGE.

Witnesses:

LORETTO OOONN LL, 1-1. W. SMITH. 

